Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Too much baggage?

U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration, Erroll Southers, has withdrawn his name from consideration for the job. Reportedly, Southers considered himself too much of a lightning rod for controversy....

Published Wed, Jan 20 2010 5:35 AM by FP Passport

Trapped in Haiti by airport security regulations

The Miami Herald's Douglas Hanks reports that U.S. commercial flights into Haiti are returning to the United States empty: Though Spirit, American and other major airlines have used passenger planes to fly cargo into Port-au-Prince since the quake...

Published Tue, Jan 19 2010 9:48 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, Haiti's Disaster

Haiti's Disaster: the images

Since the earthquake struck Haiti -- almost exactly 24 hours ago -- photographs of the destruction and rescue efforts have been slow to surface. Of those emerging, here are some of the most arresting... [[BREAK]] GETTY IMAGES: FREDERIC DUPOUX; LISANDRO...

Published Wed, Jan 13 2010 1:42 PM by FP Passport

John Yoo on Jon Stewart, II

Well, I just watched John Yoo -- a member of the Office of Legal Counsel during the George W. Bush administration and the author of the infamous "torture memos" -- on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show . It was among the more excruciatingly awkward...

Published Mon, Jan 11 2010 9:16 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, Bush's Legacy, Bush Administration

Justice Emirates-style

Sheikh Issa bin Zayed, brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and the President of the United Arab Emirates (and on of the world's worst sons ), was acquitted yesterday of charges that he tortured an Afghan business associate on his ranch. A video leaked...

Published Mon, Jan 11 2010 9:07 AM by FP Passport

The Boston Marathon conspiracy theories start

It literally took only minutes for the conspiracy theories to start after news broke about the twin explosions in Boston. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has yet to find a tragedy he couldn't exploit, wasted no time: Our hearts go out to those...

Published Mon, Apr 15 2013 3:50 PM by FP Passport

Has Obama already violated his new and improved drone policy?

Early Wednesday, a U.S. drone strike in the tribal region of Pakistan reportedly killed Wali ur-Rehman, the Pakistani Taliban's second-in-command (in the blue vest above). The attack comes just six days after President Barack Obama unveiled tightened...

Published Wed, May 29 2013 4:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, National Security

The unlikely winner in the war on drugs? Iran

As Barack Obama arrives in Mexico for the first visit of his second term in office, talk has inevitably turned to the United States' floundering war on drugs in Latin America. And as efforts are made to scrutinize what the United States and Mexico...

Published Thu, May 02 2013 12:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Iran

@hujintao gives up on tweeting

Chinese President Hu Jintao has mysteriously given up on micro-blogging before ever really getting started. China’s President startled the internet at the weekend by opening a micro-blog – the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Fascinated netizens began signing...

Published Tue, Feb 23 2010 8:29 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: China, Internet

Morning Brief: India and Pakistan hold first meeting since Mumbai attack

India and Pakistan hold first meeting since Mumbai attack Top story: India and Pakistan held their first talks since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack today. No formal breakthroughs were achieved, or expected, in the four-hour meeting in New Delhi between...

Published Thu, Feb 25 2010 5:54 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Is This the Most Interesting Opening Paragraph Wikipedia's Ever Published?

Most Interesting Man in the World , meet your match. On Sunday, Twitter user Matthew Barrett created something of a sensation by linking to the obscure Wikipedia biography of the British army officer Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart. His tweet -- "This...

Published Thu, Jul 11 2013 10:00 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Fun Stuff

Chile's Twitter response

I know you're not supposed to read your news on Twitter (I know!), but I've gotta say: compared to the news coverage of Chile's earthquake by much of the U.S. media the last several days, the tweetosphere on Chile (including subjects #Chile...

Published Mon, Mar 01 2010 2:29 PM by FP Passport

Goodluck, Jonathan

Nigeria has a new acting president today, after the country's parliament finally voted that the vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, should stand in for Umaru Yar'Adua. The latter has been missing in action -- rumored dead or worse -- for several...

Published Tue, Feb 09 2010 10:14 AM by FP Passport

Is the Obama administration hoping for regime change in Iran?

All the chatter online is about the Cheney-Biden Sunday talkshow dustup , which was heavy on drama and light on news. But the real story today is what the U.S. national security advisor, Gen. James L. Jones, said : “We are about to add to that regime...

Published Sun, Feb 14 2010 7:47 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Iran

When Turkish food and protests collide

Care for a side of red hot chili peppers and ironic social commentary with your protests? The photo that went viral this week of a policeman pepper-spraying a young woman in a red dress in Istanbul inspired a response from an unlikely place: the food...

Published Tue, Jun 04 2013 10:06 AM by FP Passport